• Neurostimulator or Generator – This device is what generates the electrical impulses. It is usually placed under the skin in your abdomen or upper buttock.
• Leads – These are thin wires that deliver the pulses from the generator to nerves along the spinal cord. The leads are placed in an area along the spinal column called the epidural space. There are two types of leads – percutaneous and paddle. Percutaneous leads are thin, wire-like leads that are typically placed in the epidural space using a special needle. Paddle leads are shaped like paddles and are typically placed during a surgical procedure where a small amount of bone is removed from a bone in the spinal column. This gives the surgeon enough space to place the lead.
• Physician’s programmer – a computer at your doctor’s office that lets your doctor adjust the SCS and its settings.
• Patient’s programmer – a handheld device that you can use at home to customize the stimulation (within the settings your doctor has selected).

Our physicians will ultimately determine if you are a candidate for a spinal cord stimulator system. Typically, a good candidate for SCS is someone who has experienced one or more of the following:

SCS is an option for managing certain kinds of chronic pain. Essentially it blocks pain signals before they reach your brain. A small implanted system does this by sending mild pulses to nerves along the spinal column which replace the feeling of pain with a different sensation.

Most people describe the feeling as a pleasant massaging sensation and some have even reported that they simply feel the absence of pain.

Only a physician can properly determine if you are a good candidate for this form of therapy. Typically, people experiencing chronic pain in the neck, back, arms or legs that has persisted for at least six months are good candidates. People with neuropathic pain also tend to be good candidates for SCS.

TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Although SCS and TENS systems both deliver electrical pulses, they are very different in how they work and what type of pain they are designed to treat. A TENS unit is an external device that delivers pulses through pads that are placeddirectly on the skin over the painful site. TENS is generally not effective for severe chronic pain. More importantly, failure with TENS therapy is not a predictor of how you will respond to SCS.

SCS is covered by Medicare, worker’s compensation programs and many major health insurance plans.

Each case is different. Many patients are able to decrease the amount of pain medications they take or the type of medications they take.

SCS is not a cure for chronic pain. It is a therapy designed to help you reduce our pain to a manageable level so you can return to a more normal lifestyle.

SCS is does not treat specific diseases although it has been used a tool to manage pain that comes from failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) or post-laminectomy as well as other neuropathies. Your doctor will help you determine if SCS may be an appropriate treatment option for your pain.

If your physician decides that you are a candidate for a Spinal Cord Stimulator the process usually has two steps. The first step is a Spinal Cord Stimulator trial evaluation. Under local anesthesia, your physician will place the leads in the epidural space and attach the generator. With the system activated, you and your physician will assess its effectiveness – usually over a 3 day period. This trial will help your physician determine if a SCS is the right pain treatment for you. If the trial is successful then after a waiting period , the SCS implantation can be performed. This waiting periodgives the area in your back where the leads were placed time to heal, for your insurance provider to be notified, and for the surgery to be scheduled.